Bruins Prospect Dans Locmelis Not a Finished Product

Boston Bruins training camp has fired up for the 2026-27 season. The hype surrounding James Hagens and Fraser Minten was to be expected, as blue-chip prospects; however, for prospects who aren’t highly-touted first-round selections, the publicity is difficult to come by.

Latvian forward Dans Locmelis was selected 119th overall in the fourth round of the 2022 NHL Draft by general manager Don Sweeney. Locmelis has put his name on the radar of NHL punditry after a nice showing in the 2026 Winter Olympics, where he posted two goals in four games.

Locmelis has been characterized as a hockey player with a high hockey IQ; he plays a full 200-foot game and with physicality despite his smaller six-foot, 179-pound frame.

He may not be able to impose his will with a frame such as his, but he finds a way to be successful nevertheless.

Turning Pro: 2024-25

After playing two seasons in Hockey East with UMass-Amherst, he joined the Providence Bruins, making the transition to the American Hockey League (AHL) smooth. During that season, he shot at an astronomical 25 percentage rate, which for any skater is unsustainable.

Taking advantage of his hot hands and his playmaking ability, he played six games and recorded 12 points (three goals, nine assists). He didn’t even play a full season but found a way to produce.

Locmelis capped off the 2024-25 season at the IIHF World Championship with a solid performance, scoring six points (four goals, two assists) in seven games against his peers. He played well enough to earn high praise from NHL legend Sidney Crosby.

“Canadian national team captain Sidney Crosby reportedly approached Dans Locmelis after the World Championship game against Latvia, tapped him on the shoulder, and praised his performance on the ice,”  Kļavenieks posted on X (translated from Latvian to English). “Dans was reportedly confused and didn’t know how to respond.”

2025-26

The following season, Locmelis suited up for the Providence Bruins in a full-time role, playing 43 games and recording 28 points (15 goals, 13 assists) with a 16.5 shooting percentage.

The Latvian forward wasn’t able to play a full season in the AHL, dealing with nagging injuries that held him out of the lineup and required a Latarjet Procedure this past February.

2026-27: Training Camp

Locmelis has skated with group B during training, centering the third line, flanked by Tanner Jeannot and Michael Eyssimont. Game one of the preseason has already concluded, and Locmelis won’t see any ice time until the second exhibition game, where he’ll likely play on the same line he’s been skating on with Jeannot and Eyssimont.

He’s made a case for himself early, recording four points (one goal, three assists) in two games during the Bruins rookie showcase against the Buffalo Sabres.

Projections for 2026-27

Locmelis has worked toward putting his name in the hat to make the Bruins roster this season. With an injury history not far behind him, and a competitive young squad with Matthew Poitras competing for a spot in the lineup, he isn’t a lock for a position in the NHL just yet.

It depends on whether he can beat out Poitras, who tallied an assist during the Bruins’ first preseason game and played 16:42 that night. We’ll get a better idea of how Locmelis could fare in the NHL after returning to the ice tomorrow against the Philadelphia Flyers.

For now, he skates with group B and could end up in Providence before he gets a look in the NHL as a yet-to-be-finished product in the pipeline.